


the price (last thing i felt)

by maxtrology



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angsty Scalia, Established Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski, F/M, Furies, Hurt Theo Raeken, Liam Dunbar is Theo Raeken's Anchor, M/M, McCall Pack, Post Season 6, Protective Liam, Talking To Dead People, Theo Raeken is Liam Dunbar's Anchor, Underworld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 8,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28549854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxtrology/pseuds/maxtrology
Summary: A Fury is a deity of vengeance, of justice. It seeks to drag those who were meant to be dead, but aren't, back to the Underworld. When a Fury arrive at Beacon Hills, then two, then three, the Pack realises something's wrong."Those who have fooled death shall pay".
Relationships: Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall/Malia Tate
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	1. prologue

Last thing he heard was a faint scream calling his name. Even though his heart was out of his body, he could feel everything. He felt the crush, the fall, the shake. The pain, the screaming, the desperation.

Last thing he tasted was his own blood.

Last thing he smelled was the unmistakable fragance of the Underworld's fire surrounding him.

Last thing he touched -or rather touched him- was the hand of the person he loved most.

Last thing he saw was the raw pain on his lover's face.

And soon after, he couldn't see him, or hear him, or smell him, or taste him, or touch him. He couldn't feel him in any way. He couldn't feel anything. _Not anymore._


	2. destined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Anuk-Ite and the hunters, Beacon Hills finally has some peace. But Liam's feeling troubled for more than once reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This a really short chapter, but it's just to give some explanation of what happened during the last few months. I won't promise anything, but I hope next chapters will be longer

**Friday, January 10th, 2014. 12:34. Beacon Hills High School.**

"I had a dream about the hunters".

"Liam, it's been three months".

"Exactly. Three months, no sign of Monroe and her hunters anywhere. They couldn't have just disappeared".

"Maybe they gave up. I don't know, Liam. Just let it go. Stop worrying and enjoy your last semester of senior year".

Mason and Corey dragged Liam across the courtyard and into the halls of the school despite his objections. Inside, Liam grabbed his chemistry book from his locker. When he turned back around, he found himself face to face with no other than _Theo Raeken._

"Hey, Liam".

"Hey".

Liam quickly escaped the situation, followed by Mason and Corey, and left Theo standing by the locker. Not that it was the first time that happened. Theo and Liam seemed to always find a way to run into each other, whether they wanted it or not. Ever since the war against the hunters, the Universe seemed eager to put them together in one place, which Theo appreciated, but Liam didn't always like.

Truth is, Liam had been avoiding Theo. And Theo knew it.

Liam wasn’t sure how to feel about Theo. Sure, he had helped and saved his life many times. But he also had a past. One based on lies, betrayal and murder. But deep down, Liam knew it was just that. _Past._


	3. first encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first Fury has arrived and it seems to be after a member of the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i guess i'm just not into long chapters

**Monday, January 13th, 2014. 10:22. Scott’s house.**

  
Scott’s message was clear. “My house. 10 AM. Don’t be late”. Liam was late. Unintentionally late. In Liam’s defense, he saw the message late, which cause him to arrive late at the first Pack Meeting of the year. When Scott opened the door, all he got was a judgy look.

“I told you not to be late”.

“I had biology”.

“You’re telling that to the guy who almost didn’t make it through sophomore year because of how many classes he missed”.

“I guess I’m not like you. Anyway, what’s going on?”.

Liam and Scott reached the living room, where the rest of the pack was. Quick hellos and heys, and they went straight to business.

“There have been viewings of… something.” Scott started speaking “I’m not sure what it is or what it wants but stay alert”.

“And you couldn’t tell use this by text message?”.

“I thought it would be better to tell you in person”.

“Why didn’t you let me bring Mason and Corey?”.

“Because we don’t even know if this thing actually exits. There’s no need to scare them. Not yet”.

“But you can scare us? Way to go, Scott”.

“If you don’t want to be here, Malia, you can go”.

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes as they witnessed yet another of Scott and Malia’s meaningless and stupid fights. The spectacle was cut by a deafening scream-like sound coming from outside. The pack rushed to the entrance door, facing a flying entity. All that could resemblance a human was its mouth. No eyes, no nose, no limbs. It looked almost like a shadow. Its body was dark, messy, shapeless.

“What is that?”.

No one knew what to do. The monster screamed again and flew down towards Stiles, who stepped aside just in time. Scott stood in front of him and, with glowing eyes, fangs and claws out, growled at it. The thing looked around, searching for something.

At the first sight of Stiles, it tried to attack him again, but Scott hit it first. Though “hit” is a misunderstanding since Scott went right through it. There was nothing to hit. Even if his attack failed, the monster flew away, God knows where. Scott hid his werewolf features and turned back to look at Stiles.

“It’s after me”.


	4. miscommunication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo crashes a pack meeting and lots of repressed anger come out.

** Monday, January 13th, 2014. 15:03. Beacon Hills High School. **

Back in school, Liam was stuck in European history class. Well, you're not stuck if you actually enjoy it. He was focused on the teacher’s speech that he didn’t notice someone arriving late to class until the teacher said: “You’re late, Theo”.

“I know, I’m sorry”.

The chance was there, and Theo took it. He sat next to Liam, as Theo knew he wouldn’t run away in the middle of a history class no matter what. Unexpectedly, Liam was the one who spoke first. “You’re not gonna graduate by being late for class”.

“I overslept”.

“It’s 3PM”.

“Like I said, I overslept”.

Theo hadn’t got a good night sleep since he was nine. That changed last night. It was like his body was compensating for all those nights he didn’t sleep. That’s why he woke up at 2:30PM. Liam had noticed the bags under his eyes before, and how he always seemed a little numb, but he never asked because he felt it wasn’t his place to do so. Nevertheless, he was concerned. He felt like he should say something but he wasn't sure. When it came to Theo, Liam was never sure about anything. So he remained in silence.

-

** Monday, January 13th, 2014. 16:12. Beacon Hills' streets. **

After a long awkward hour with Theo, Liam headed home. On his way, he got a message from Scott.

**"My house. Now. Please don't be late. Got info on the creature".**

_It better be worth it_ , Liam thought before changing hispath direction just aa few houses before reaching his own. Thankfully for him, Scott's place was relatively close to his, just a few blocks away, so it didn't take him more than five minutes to get there. This time he got a warmer welcome, but once he entered the house, all he could feel was everyone's nervousness, mostly Stiles'.

"Uh, I did some reasearch with Malia..." Scott stopped to look directly at Stiles.

"Just tell me, dude".

"It's called a Fury". Malia took over "It's like a demon from Hell".

"The Underworld".

"Whatever. Point is, it wants to drag you down there".

"Why? Why me?".

"It seeks for those who have fooled death. I'm assuming it wants justice for that sacrifice we made where we died and came back".

"Then why isn't it coming for you, too?".

"I don't know, Stiles".

"Maybe there's more coming". Lydia suggested "Maybe tomorrow there'll be another, and so on".

"Comforting as always, Lydia".

"Don't worry, Stiles. No one will be taken anywhere".

A loud and aggressive knock on the door was heard. Scott rushed to open and came back with Theo.

"What the hell is he doing here?".

"It's good to see you too, Malia".

Malia growled in response but Theo ignored her. "Who are the Furies here for?".

"You know about the Fury?".

"Furies. There's two of them. And I think the whole town knows about them".

"There's two now?".

"This is bad. We're gonna get dragged to Hell!".

"Underworld" corrected Theo. "So they're here for you. Why am I not surprised?".

"Maybe because you're the one who killed me".

"Okay, that was over a year ago. Things have changed. Besides, you survived".

"And now I'm going to the Underworld for it".

"Are you expecting an apology from me, Scott? Because you're not getting one".

"Okay, cut it off, you two. We have bigger problems". Lydia intervened "Theo, do you know how to stop them?".

"The only way to stop a Fury is to give it what it wants. Your life. You can't kill them, they're inmortal. At least in this plane".

"What do you mean?".

"They can only be killed where they're born. In the Underworld".

"So we go there and kill them".

"Liam, the whole point is to keep us from being dragged down there. Why would we go voluntarily?".

"Them maybe we can find a way to trap them".

"Good idea, Lydia. Liam, call Mason and Corey, we need as much people as possible if we're gonna come up with a plan".

-

** Monday, January 13th, 2014. 17:25. Scott's house. **

Having arrived Mason and Corey, the pack -plus Theo- had been researching and brainstorming for about an hour.

"Okay, you know what? I don't think I feel comfortable with him being here listening to our plans" stated Stiles. "I mean, for all we know, he could be the one who brought the Furies".

"Theo hasn't done anything bad in over a year, when are you gonna understand that he's changed? He's helped us -helped me, saved my life more than once. This isn't the same guy who killed Scott". Liam objected.

"He might've helped, but that doesn't erse the bad stuff he's done. He's a bad guy in our eyes because we have the scars to prove it". Scott jumped into the conversation, causing Liam's anger to grow bigger. "Can you understand that, Liam?".

"You know what, Scott? I don't. You always claim how you see the best in people and how you give people second chances. I mean, take Peter for example. How many times has he -a grown ass adult who knows what he's doing- double crossed us? And you still keep forgiving and forgetting". Liam hissed. Whatever effort he'd made to calm himself didn't work. "But when it comes to Theo -who was literally manipulated into doing what he did, nothing".

"Okay, things are getting awkward. I'm gonna go". Theo said, leaving the book he was reading on the couch.

Stiles and Liam answered at the same time.

"Yes, please".

"No, stay".

Theo had made up his mind and he didn't look back as he left. Liam contained his impulses to punch both Scott and Stiles in the face, and followed Theo outside.

"Theo, wait". Liam catched up with him before Theo could get into his truck. "I'm sorry about Scott and Stiles".

"It's okay, Liam. I know they're never gonna forgive me and I'm okay with that. I even understand them. I caused a lot of pain".

Theo turned around to go his truck again but Liam grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving. "A lot of pain was caused to you, too".

"Doesn't excuse the pain I caused. Just because you're hurt, doesn't mean you can hurt other people".

Liam didn't know what to say, but he didn't let go off Theo's arm either. And so their eyes met to speak for them. Liam's touched slowly faded but the feeling lingered on Theo's skin. Liam looked down, trying to forget Theo's eyes, but he couldn't help to look back at them. In that moment, they were as blue as the sky above them, or the sea. And even though Liam would never admit it, he got lost in those eyes once again.

Because if there was one thing about Theo that Liam was sure of, was that he had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen.


	5. words of emotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Liam talk.

** Tuesday, January 14th, 2014. 18:48. Scott's house. **

Liam stood outside Scott's house with his phone on his hand, reading yet again the message the Alpha had left half an hour ago.

**"Got an idea. Meet me at my house".**

They hadn't talked since their fight/disagreement they day before, so Liam really didn't want to see him. Quietly, Scott invited him in and to Liam's surprise, no one was inside.

"What's going on?".

"I have no idea what to do with the Furies. Stiles and Lydia are working on it".

"So why am I here?".

"To talk. I had to get you here somehow, so I-".

"So you lied". Liam interrupted. "Okay, let's talk".

"You were right the other day. About me, about Theo. I trust you, and if you trust him, then so do I". Scott said. "Stiles and Malia are definitely gonna take more time, but they'll come around. I promise".

"Okay".

"Can I ask you something?".

"I don't know. Your questions scare me".

"Why are you trying so hard to make us accept Theo?".

 _Why am I?_ Truth is, Liam wasn't sure. When Scott and Stiles bashed Theo, Liam felt so angry, so full of rage, because he knew that they didn't know Theo like _he did._ They had no right to speak like that about him when all the impressions they had were from a year ago.

"I've spent the most time with him out of all of us. _I know him._ _He's my friend._ If someone would point out your past mistakes, Scott, I would defend you, too".

"Are you sure that's it?".

"What do you want from me, Scott?".

"Nevermind. Are you up for some research about Furies?".


	6. howl it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack finds a way to stop the Furies momentarily.

**Tuesday, January 14th, 2014. 22:02. Scott's house.**

Research had taken more time than any of them expected, and even so, the results weren't astounding. Still, Liam and Scott arranged an emergency pack meeting.

"So... We have until tomorrow night to trap them, or we're getting dragged to the Underworld?". Stiles took a deep breath.

"Yeah. They can only travel between planes on a full moon. Which means we have exactly two days and four hours to figure something out".

"Maybe we- ".

Getting interrupted by a Fury's scream was something they'd have to get used to. Rushing outside, too. They stodd before, not two, but three Furies in the air.

"Who is this other one here for?".

"I think I know". Lydia said as a Fury approached her. Stiles pushed her out of the way and the Fury surrounded his face with its body made of black smoke. Scott growled and ran towards Stiles to take his place. When Stiles fell to the floor and it was Scott's face surrounded by the Fury, the creature flew back up. The other two Furies flew down. Malia and Liam shifted as Lydia, Mason and Stiles stood behind them and were made invisible by Corey.

"Need backup?".

A familiar voice was heard from their right side. Liam watched as Theo ran in their direction. Unconsciously, a smile spread across his face. Once Theo joined them, the fight begun. There wasn't much they could do besides avoid the Furies' strikes as they were basically fog, smoke, darkness. It almost seemed as that was it, they couldn't avoid them forever, they'd met their fate.

That, until Lydia screamed. One of those screams that could be heard around the entire country, the entire planet, the entire Universe.

One that could stun a Fury.


	7. full moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against all hope, things don't end well.

** Wednesday, January 15th, 2014. 9:45. Scott's house. **

That day, Liam skipped school. Everyone skipped anything they had to do. Though the Furies being in a dormant state was relieving, the feeling of uncertainty lingered on. Surrounded by the pack, the three Furies had acquired a state of sleep, shrinking themselves into tiny black balls after Lydia screamed at them.

"So what do we do with them?".

"We keep an eye on them. We have no idea if or when they're gonna wake up. Tonight's the full moon and they're job is to bring us to the Underworld. For all we know, they could just be waiting for that exact moment. For now, we leave them inside the Mountain Ash box. I don't know if it'll work on them, but it's better to be safe than sorry".

"Can't we just, I don't know, kill them while they're in this state?".

"Malia, you heard Theo. They're inmortal here".

"So we just wait and do nothing?".

"We keep looking for a way to save ourselves, but there's not much else we can do".

-

** Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 4:50. Scott's house. **

Two minutes until the full moon. Two minutes where their lives could change forever.

The Mountain Ash's box lied on the table as the pack stared at it. Just in case things went wrong, Stiles, Scott and Lydia had said their goodbyes to the rest of the pack, surprisingly including Theo, who was sitting next to Liam as the seconds went by.

When the clock hit 4:52 in the morning, everyone was expectant. Slowly, they started to calm down, letting go of the accumulated stress, as nothing happened. Stiles and Scott hugged, Stiles and Lydia kissed, even Malia and Scott kissed. Everyone let out the air that they had held inside during those excrutiating minutes.

But before the clock could hit 4:53, the box shook. And it shook again. And again until the seal broke and the Furies, now awake, escaped. Everyone backed up as the Furies' path destroyed big part of Scott's living room. The Furies were in a hurry, so all they were able to do was take Lydia and fly away.

The pack ran after them, but not even the fastest werewolf would've been able to catch up to them. Despite Stiles' screams and pleads, Lydia was dragged to the Underworld.


	8. dead's obol and a few nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip to the Underworld begins.

**Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 4:55. Beacon Hills' woods.**

"They couldn't have just disappeared, right? I mean, there has to be a way to follow them". Stiles mumbled. "Right?".

"I suppose". Scott reassured, even though he didn't seem so confident himself. "We're going to get her back. We just have to think. Let's go back and- ".

"Go back? Lydia has literally been taken to the Underworld. She's technically dead. We don't have time to waste".

"I know you want to rescue her, Stiles. But to do that, we have to actually know something about this whole mess. Let's go back and find a way to get Lydia back as fast as possible".

-

**Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 7:03. Scott's house.**

Two hours later, books spread across the destroyed living room, papers scattered on the floor with useless ideas. Mason and Corey had gone home twenty minutes ago. Liam, Theo, Malia, Stiles and Scott might've been almost falling asleep, but they wouldn't stop until finding something to bring Lydia home.

"Wait. The Furies aren't supernatural creatures. They're mythical. Maybe we should look stuff about myths about Hell- or the Underworld".

"I have an idea!". Liam chanted. "Charon".

"What's a Charon?".

"A psychopomp from Hell. A ferryman from the Underworld. He, uh, carries the souls of dead people".

"Great. If he's real, he can get us down there".

"If he's real, we'll need the Charon's Obol to cross. It's a coin".

"Okay. Where do we find it?".

"Inside dead people's mouths".

-

**Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 8:44. Morgue.**

After a long discussion between Scott and his mother, where she completely forbade Scott from going to the Underworld, she finally, relunctantly, accepted and gave the pack access to the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital's Morgue.

"Be quick and have respect for the dead". Melissa instructed before she left.

"So, we just open any mouth and take a coin, right?".

"Not any mouth. It has to be from a person who didn't use the coin. Someone who didn't go to the Underworld".

"Well, that shouldn't be so hard".

The pack started to look for a coin in all the dead people that rested in the place, trying to be as little invasive as possible. Theo, on the other hand, couldn't even bring himself to move. Paralized by the haunting memories of his time on his own personal Hell.

"Theo? Are you okay?".

Liam's touch put him out his shock. Theo's breath was wavering as he tried to erase the image of his departed sister from his head. "Yeah, I'm fine".

"Maybe you wait outside. I'll come with you".

"No, it's okay. We have to find that coin".

"They got this. Let's go".

Theo got one last glimpse at the morgue before Liam closed the door behind them. They walked in silence all the way outside the hospital. Theo took a deep breath.

"Better?".

"Yeah".

Liam hesitated for a moment, but finally said: "I'm sorry".

"For what?".

"For the times I said I should've left you in Hell because I thought it was what you deserved".

"Liam, you... you don't have to apologize for that. I made mistakes. You had every reason to hate me".

"Still, I... just wanted to apologize".

"Apologize accepted".

Liam almost smiled. "Did you see her? Back inside?".

"Yeah".

Theo didn't say another word, so Liam understood that he wasn't ready to talk about it. They just stood next to each other, closer than usual, for a while.


	9. river of lost souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new body is found on Beacon Hills, though this time, it's a body of water.

**Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 8:50. Outside the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.**

Just a few minutes passed until the pack rushed out of the hospital, joining Liam and Theo. Stiles held a coin in his hand.

"Got it! What do we do now?".

"Well, Charon is a ferryman. He travels on a river, and... there's no river in Beacon Hills".

In that moment, Scott's phone rang. His face could only be described as confusion as he read the message.

"There is one now".

-

**Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 9:00. Hale's house.**

"Wow".

As the pack arrived at the Hale house, Derek and Peter welcomed them to the new body of water of Beacon Hills.

"Imagine my surprise when I wake up and find a river that goes across my living room. Can anyone explain what's going on?".

"It's the river Styx. Here. In Beacon Hills". Liam answered a little more excited than he should've been.

"Hold your excitement. This isn't some fun Greek-mythology-themed adventure. We're trying to save someone".

"Who are we trying to save?". Derek asked. "And from what? Water?".

"Lydia. From the Underworld".

"You're going to face the Devil?".

"I guess we are".

"Enough talking". Stiles interrupted. "How do we do this? Liam?".

"Uh, we look for the Charon. Follow the river".

A few miles into the woods, the river widened. A small boat was stranded by the shore. Stiles quickly tried to get in it but was repelled by a magic impulse.

"What the- What happened?".

"The coin. Throw it to the river".

Stiles stood up from the floor and looked for a second at the Charon's Obol. He proceeded to throw it into the river. Mist started to rose up from the water until it surrounded everything. It was so thick that they could barely see each other. A figure walked on the water in their direction. The Charon. All they could was that he was a little over seven feet and very thin. He pushed the boat to the water and got in. His feathered coat hung over the edge and into the water. He waited there, standing up, until the pack got into the boat too. Then, he sailed away.


	10. hell yeah!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack meets an old friend —or foe.

**Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 9:31. On the Charon's boat, river Stryx.**

"There's one thing I don't understand. Why did they take Lydia?".

The journey to the Underworld had been quiet, extremely quiet. The sky had turned from a bright blue to a dark, hazy red. Liam was the first one to talk in half an hour, followed by Scott.

"I guess it could be about that time we rescued her from Eichen House. She had a hole in her dead. She was supposed to die and take more people with her. But we saved her".

"It doesn't matter why. All that matters it's getting her back".

"We will, Stiles". Scott repplied. "We have to".

-

** Thursday, January 16th, 2014. 9:58. The Underworld. **

To their surprise, the Underworld looked just like Beacon Hills. It was like a parallel universe, a copy of their own world. Liam checked his phone once again, hoping, somehow, to know if Mason got his message or not. His phone had been without service ever since he stepped on the boat.

"Okay, we're here. Stiles?".

Stiles handed Lydia's jacket to Scott to catch its scent. Malia, Liam and Theo did too.

"So? Where's it coming from?".

"I-I can't tell".

"What do you mean?".

"There's a smell... It won't let me catch anything else".

"That's the Underworld's fire. It's everywhere yet nowhere".

This time, it wasn't Liam who spoke so passionately about the Underworld. Behind them, an old acquaintance stood. That unmistakable voice brought Scott back in time. It was none other than Gerard Argent.

"So I assume you aren't dead, are you? You always find new ways to break the rules of the Universe".

"Gerard. Always knew you'd end up in Hell". Stiles smirked.

"You're in Hell too now, aren't you?".

Hoping that his experience in the Underworld could've changed him somehow, Scott asks: "We're here for Lydia. Have you seen her?".

"No, I haven't seen her. But if she's here, then it's too late for her. And if you're here, you just walked into your own death. No one who visits the Underworld can leave. And you won't be the exception. If you wanna do something for Lydia, you'll get out of here and continue with your lives. She wouldn't want you to die to save her, would she? ".

"What would you know? You've never done one thing for someone that wasn't you".

"That might be true, but I at least know that trying to save someone from Hell is pointless".

"If you're not gonna be helpful, get out of our way".

Gerard stepped to the side and said what the pack hoped to be his last words they ever had to hear from him: "You're doomed".


	11. regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam believes in Theo.

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 10:33. The Underworld.**

The Underworld's Fire might've kept the pack smelling anything else -even chemosignals- but Liam didn't need to smell Theo's uncomfort to know something was wrong.

"Are you okay?".

"Yeah". Theo answered, but Liam could tell he was lying. Without really knowing why, Liam placed a hand on Theo's shoulder, which made him freeze. The rest of the pack didn't notice they had stopped, as they were more concerned about Lydia, so they kept walking. Liam and Theo stood frozen in place. Liam removed his hand, a bit ashamed.

"I know you don't want to talk about it. And I know being here must be hard".

"It's not. I don't know if I'm right, but I don't think the Underworld and Hell are the same thing. This is a place. Hell is more of an experience, a situation".

Liam didn't know what to say or do. Should he comfort him? Or go for a more logical approach and support his theory? Either way, it had to be quick because they were falling way too behind the group. Theo watched the pack disappear in the distance, but he didn't care, he just hoped Liam would say something, anything.

"I'm sorry". Liam muttered quietly.

"You're doing it again. You don't have to apologize".

"We send you to Hell. You can't just ignore that and forgive us".

"I'm not ignoring it. That time down there... with her... it made me realise a lot of stuff about myself, about my life. It made me change. I don't think I would be the person I am now if it weren't for that experience. I'm not saying thank you".

"Good. Because I'm not saying you're welcome. It sucks that you had to go through that. I'm glad it helped you somehow, but I believe that if you had never been sent there, you would've still changed. With the Dread Doctors gone, you would've seen how the world truly was through your eyes, not theirs. And you would've seen the mistakes you made and realised they were wrong and you would've tried to be better, like you are now".

Theo was left speechless. Such words, no one had ever said anything like that to him before. It made him feel good. It almost made him cry. _Liam believed in him._ That was all that mattered to Theo. Ever since he came back, all he wanted was to prove himself, make others see that he changed. And he was giving up on that, because no matter how many times he helped, everyone treated him like a bad person, a murderer, a betrayer. He was called those things so many times, he'd started to believe it himself. _Maybe I didn't change. Maybe I'm the same villain that I once was. Because if I wasn't, then why no one can see it?_

But Liam saw it.

"Thank you, Liam".


	12. shivering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam gets distracted very easily.

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 10:52. The Underworld.**

Catching up with the rest of the pack took a while. Liam and Theo jogged straight to where they saw them for the last time. From there, they only has to look to both sides and spot them somewhere. Good thing is, they weren't far. As they were walking, they saw two people who had joined the group that neither Liam or Theo recognized, though the pack seemed to be shocked of their presence.

First thing they heard was Stiles voice: "How did you end up here in the Underworld? I mean, Erica did knock me out once, but what did Boyd ever do?".

"You got it wrong". Boyd answered. "The Underworld isn't for bad people, that's what Hell is for. The Underworld is for people with unfinished business. We stay here until we have solved them. And if you don't know what they are, you're doomed to stay here forever".

"Who are these?". Liam asked once they catched up.

"Erica and Boyd". Scott answered, a bit startled to see Liam standing next to him. "They were Derek's Betas".

"Anyway, what are _you_ doing here?". Erica asked. "All of you. Did you all just die at the same time? Because we hadn't seen any of you here before".

"We're not dead. We're here to rescue Lydia".

"Lydia's here? Is she dead? Cause if she is, I'm guessing I'm not the first person to tell you that it's basically impossible to save her".

"She's also not dead. I hope. And because of your expression, I'll say you haven't seen her?".

"We're sorry, but no".

"Okay". Stiles said, reassuring himself. "We'll leave you with your afterlife affairs, we have to keep looking".

"You might wanna check Hades' lair".

"Hades is here? _The_ Hades?".

"Liam". Theo, who was still standing too close to Liam, whispered into his ear. "Don't get too excited".

The interaction gave Liam chills down his spine, and it distracted him from the conversation. He looked back at Theo, who was focused on Erica and Boyd and what they had to say.

"What do you think, Liam?".

"What?". Liam's eyes moved from Theo's face to Scott's. Everyone was looking expectantly at him. Liam opened his mouth to speak but his cheeks blushed so furiously that he was left frozen in place. _Everyone's staring at you, Liam, do something._ "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention".

"Clearly". Stiles chided. "You're the history-know-it-all. So, where do you think Hades' lair is?".

"Don't they know?". Liam asked pointing at Erica and Boyd.

"We don't. We've heard of the place but never actually seen it".

"Then I guess... I don't know".

"Maybe we should split-up".

"We're living a horror movie. Splitting up is never a good idea". Stiles replied. "And we don't have phones to communicate".

"Then we howl. Liam, Theo, head East and North. We'll check West and South. Erica, Boyd, you can stay here. This is our fight".


	13. a siblings' tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's past haunts him.

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 11:12. The Underworld.**

On the East side of town, Liam and Theo entered the Underworld version of the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. It was almost noon, but the sky outside was still dim. Inside, the power was off. The journey had been quiet. Liam couldn't figure out what to say, Theo didn't understand why Liam was acting so weird. So far, the place didn't seem like a hideout for the god of the dead and king of the Underworld. The hospital was like any of the other places: wrecked. Even with their enhanced sight, it was hard to see through the smoke and total darkness.

"I don't think there's anything here". Liam broke the silence. "Let's go. We have more places to cover".

"Wait".

Even though he wasn't one-hundred-percent sure, Theo could've sworn that he saw something -or rather someone.

"Theo! Where are you going?".

Liam rushed after Theo through the unlit halls and stairs, all the way down to the morgue.

It wasn't an evil lair.

It was Tara.

Brother and sister stood face to face speechless. Flashes of waking up, running, getting his - her- heart ripped out. She was there. She was really there. All Theo could do was mumble his sister's name shakingly. There was no intention of an emotional reunion, and everyone in the room knew that. Theo felt the ache. He felt it so hard and raw, like a newly- made, fresh wound, so fresh that he started to tear up. Tara was numb. Ten years later, still trapped in her 11-year-old body, facing Theo once again. It was such a bittersweet feeling.

"Theo- What... What are you doing here?".

In the back, Liam watched the scene, completely clueless. But Theo was too stupefied to talk, so Liam stepped in.

"Uh, I'm Liam. And we're not... dead, if that's what you're asking".

Tara's eyes moved to Liam, but she didn't say a thing, then back to Theo, who had gathered a little courage to speak: "I'm sorry".

The words echoed in Tara's head. She was so numb, she couldn't formulate an answer. Theo was desperate. Tara's heart inside of him pounded fast and irregularly. He was short of breath. Tara had no reason to accept his apology and she had every reason to hate him. But there was a glimpse of hope...

"You took my heart".

It shattered. The hope shattered into a million pieces. His heart did too. When he felt like he was about to fall, Liam's arms were there to catch him. Liam held Theo's hand firmly, in a I-believe-in-you way. So Theo pulled himself together, or at least tried to.

"I know. And if I could give it back right now, I would".

"Why? Why did you do it?".

"I didn't know what I was doing. I was told you wanted me to have it. I _believed_ you wanted me to have it".

"Why would you think that?".

"I was eight. The Dread Doctors- These people were good at making you believe in things that weren't true. I fell for it. I never wanted you to get hurt. I look back now, and my biggest mistake was watching you there in the river, all powerless and defenceless. I'll never forget the expression in your face the moment you saw me arrive at the bridge, and how it changed when I just stood there. If somehow I was given the choice to do it again, I wouldn't".

Liam's warm touch gave Theo the strength to tell the truth. Despite what Tara may think, at least he came clean. He was ready to hear Tara and whatever hurtful things she had to say to him, because he believed he deserved it. Instead, Tara nodded.

"All I ever wanted was to know why. What could've driven my little brother to watch me die? From what I've heard, it wasn't you. You were used. And how can I hold that against you?".

No words could explain the feeling that ran through Theo's body. The one thing that had been weighing on him for years was that Tara would see how bad of a person he is, that he is beyond repair, that she would never forgive him. So hearing those words coming from her mouth, it was like he could finally breathe.

The place lit up. It literally lit up. The fog cleared and light came through the windows. The three of them looked around, confused. A ray of light landed on Tara. Theo and Liam were more confused than ever when she started climbing an invisible stair. She gave a smile and one last look at them before disappearing in the air.


	14. into the lion's den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack finds Hades' lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you look up an actual map of Beacon Hills, you'll see that I messed up the map of the town, so imagine this Beacon Hills is just built differently

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 11:52. The Underworld.**

The next forty minutes scouting the rest of the Northeast area consisted in accidental and purposeful hand brushing, shy eye contact, and blushing everywhere. They searched the Sheriff's Station and the High School. There was no sign of anything. That's when Liam's eyes glowed as they heard Scott's howl from across the town.

North to South, going at full speed. It took Liam and Theo just ten minutes to reach the Greenvale Park where the pack plus someone Theo and Liam didn't know was waiting for them.

"Who's this?".

"This is Aiden. He claims he has seen Lydia".

"Where?".

"He was about to show us. We were waiting for you".

"Oh. Show us".

Aiden led the way to the woods on the far West side of town. "I was walking through here and I saw a Fury dragging Lydia".

"And you didn't do anything?".

"I couldn't. It happened too fast. They were headed to Hades' lair".

"You know where it is?".

"Follow me".

Deeper into the forest, it just seemed to be an eternal amount of trees. Aiden stopped in what looked like a random place. He knelt next to a small rock, which he spun. Four red bright strings burned everyone's eyes as they had gotten used to seeing in the dark. Each of those strings united the rock to a different tree. Aiden stepped back, a deafening metallic sound filled their ears. The ground opened within the trees. Aiden was the first one to climb down the stairs. The rest follwed.

Once they were almost at the bottom, Liam whispered: "How did he know where this place was?".

"Maybe they're all brought here when they first come to the Underworld". Theo answered.

"Then how come Erica and Boyd didn't know?".

The loud noise of the hole above them closing startled everyone. Two important questions were asked by Theo and Scott.

"Did we just walk into a trap?".

"Where is Aiden?".

When the lights were turned on, and Scott, Liam and Malia were shot with two Wolfsbane-covered arrows each, and the whole pack was trapped in different floating cages, they realised that the answers to their questions were "yes" and "standing next to Hades" respectively.


	15. wailing woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack meets Hades.

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 12:15. Hades' lair, the Underworld.**

Hades took a step forward. Deadly eyes and a smirk. Aiden stood next to him, looking remorseful. High heels approaching were heard and soon after, Lydia had joined the two of them. Dim, empty eyes staring into nothing. Stiles called her name from his cage, but it was like she couldn't hear him.

"Don't waste your breath, Stiles". Hades said with his strong voice. "She's mine now".

"What did you do to her?".

"Same thing I did to my buddy Aiden here. I own their souls, so they'll do as I say".

"Why Lydia?".

"At first, I sent the two Furies for you, Scott, and for Stiles. My plan was to bring just the two of you to pay the price for that little sacrifice you made some time ago. But then I found something much better. A powerful Banshee whose power was being wasted. I've been looking for one for quite some time now. It's tedious how much time it takes for me to find those who've fooled death, but with a Banshee, I can now immediately, even before they even attempt to do it".

"So you're doing this because you're lazy?". Malia inquired faintly, struggling with the Wolfsbane arrow.

"If you wanna put it like that. Now, I need to welcome some new souls. Don't try anything. This place is infested with Furies who will kill you if you try to escape. Lydia, Aiden, guard them".

And just like that, Hades left. He must've been really certain that his plan wouldn't fail to leave his prisoners.

"Guys, we need to figure out a way to get out of these cages". Scott said. " Malia, Liam, how are you holding up?".

"Been better". Liam answered.

"I'll be okay". Malia grunted.

"I think I can break the lock of my cage". Theo said from his cage. "And I think I can see the mechanism that's holding us up. I can pulled the rest of you down, but I'll have to be quick and do it before the Furies storm in".

"Okay". Scott replied, seeming to have healed much faster from the Wolfsbane than either Liam or Malia. "I think I can get down, too. Let's try".

Claws out, eyes glowing. Theo and Scott lost count of how many times they hit their respective locks until they finally broke them and opened their cages. It was a long way down, but nothing an Alpha Werewolf and a Chimera couldn't handle. When they saw them, Aiden shifted and Lydia Banshee-screamed. Theo ran towards the chain that kept the cages up while Scott fought Aiden. Theo tried to cut the chain but it was too thick and strong, so he tried to use lever next to it, which ended up in him breaking it. That break ultimately ended lowering the cages abruptly.

The doors opened and at least a dozen Furies flew into the room. Theo and Scott opened the rest of the cages and prepared to fight. They were in the Underworld, which meant they could kill the Furies. They weren't sure how, but they'd find out.


	16. acceptable losses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> getting closer to the end! (this was always meant to be a rather short story)

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 12:26. Hades' lair, the Underworld.**

The first few minutes of the combat consisted of dodging the Furies' attacks while trying to leave the room. As if the flickering lights weren't distracting enough, the Furies' screams were too much to handle. The main doors were opened wide and Hades stormed inside.

"I hope you're happy to know that you interrupted the welcome tour".

Hades lifted his right arm, and in the back, Lydia started choking. The Furies stopped attacking, so did the pack.

"What are you doing to her? Let her go!".

Stiles tried to pounce on Hades, but was easily dodged and then thrown across the room, landing next to the stairs, unconscious. Lydia was left alone, coughing. Malia growled and tried to attack but the moment she touched Hades, she faced a feeling as if she was being electrocuted, so she was forced to step back. Hades put a hand in his pocket and revealed a big amount of Mountain Ash being kept there.

"You can keep trying to defeat me all you want. I've thought of everything. So why don't you just leave?".

"Not without Lydia".

"Then I guess I'll have to kill you all".

Hades finished molding a Mountain Ash barrier around him. Theo took a look at Scott, who was trying to figure out a way to win. At Stiles, who was slowly waking up. At Malia, who, unlike Scott, was more invested in the physical way of solving things. And at Liam, who stood next to him, looking directly into his eyes. It was like Liam could read his mind, and immediately realised what Theo was about to do.

"Don't even think about it, Theo". Liam whispered, as Hades prepared himself to end them all.

"It's the only way".

"Don't". When Theo took a step forward, Liam grabbed his hand. His grip was strong but he wasn't angry. _He was scared._ "Please".

"No matter what happens, you get out of here".

"Not without you".

"Promise me".

"Theo, I... I think I-".

"Promise me".

Holding back the tears, Liam agreed: "I promise".

Theo let go off Liam's hand and walked towards Hades.


	17. the last thing i felt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo makes the ultimate sacrifice.

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 12:58. Hades' lair, the Underworld.**

Face to face. Hades' eyes met Theo's. Scott and Malia stood next to each other, looking at the scene, expecting the worse. Liam could still feel Theo's hand holding his own.

"What are you trying to do here, boy? You're a Werewolf. You can't cross the barrier".

"You're right. I'm a Werewolf. But that's not all I am".

Theo stepped inside the barrier and he didn't gave time for Hades to react before he attacked. Still inside the circle, Theo was strangling Hades as he looked back at the pack: "Go! I can't keep him forever".

Scott helped Stiles stand up and Malia dragged Lydia out. Liam was the last one to leave, but he stayed long enough to see Theo being pushed off Hades and getting his heart ripped out by him. Theo fell on his knees as Hades smiled victorious. Liam was desperate to do something but he knew he couldn't. Not when the rest of the pack had left and Theo and Hades were still inside the Mountain Ash circle. All he could do was scream. Theo looked up at Hades and faintly said: "You can kill me now, but know that you lost".

Last thing he heard was a faint scream calling his name. Even though his heart was out of his body, he could feel everything. He felt the crush, the fall, the shake. The pain, the screaming, the desperation.

Last thing he tasted was his own blood.

Last thing he smelled was the unmistakable fragrance of the Underworld's fire surrounding him.

Last thing he touched -or rather touched him- was the hand of the person he loved most.

Last thing he saw was the raw pain on his lover's face.

And soon after, he couldn't see him, or hear him, or smell him, or taste him, or touch him. He couldn't feel him in any way. He couldn't feel anything. _Not anymore._


	18. what comes after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack makes it back to Beacon Hills.

**Tuesday, January 16th, 2014. 14:36. Scott’s house.**

Liam heard voices but he couldn’t understand what they were saying. Step after step, it was like he was floating. He sat on the sofa, or at least he thought he did. All he could think about was Theo's body falling to the ground, only his hand being left outside the barrier. He remembered holding Theo's lifeless hand, even if being too close to the Mountain Ash hurt. Scott’s hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his trance.

“Liam, are you okay?”.

“I… “.

The words wouldn’t come out, but the tears did.

“You can’t seriously be crying over Theo”. Stiles exclaimed.

Lydia, back to herself, shoved Stiles lightly. After what Theo had done, Liam couldn’t believe Stiles still held a grudge against him.

“It’s your fault”. Liam mumbled. “He did it to prove himself. To you. He needed you to believe in him, to believe that he had changed. You didn’t. And look where we are now”.

“You can’t blame us for this”.

Liam cleaned his tears, and before his I.E.D. kicked in, he left. He didn’t have the energy to fight anyone. Outside, parked across the street from Scott’s house, he looked at the one thing he had left from Theo. His truck. He peered inside and could only see the empty seats. The doors were unlocked so he just got inside and sat at the driver’s seat. Hands on the wheel, eyes closed. He thought about all the nights Theo spent alone in there. _I should’ve invited him to stay over._ He thought of how different things would’ve been if he did.

Liam opened the glove compartment and found a bunch of Theo’s stuff. Old music cassettes, at least eight different pens, a blue notebook, napkins and tissues -some were used-, a camera, a phone charger, and an empty wallet.

That was Theo. The side of him Liam never had the chance to see. He took the notebook and looked through the pages. There were a lot of doodles and sketches. Liam never thought of Theo as someone who’d draw on his free time or when he was bored. He kept passing the pages, there were a few words written now and then, like “can’t sleep”, “Tara”, “can’t focus”, “ _Liam_ ”.

Liam read his name in Theo’s handwritting. _He thought of me. A lot._ It was his name written over and over again. Sometimes his last name, too.

_Hate that I’m going through senior year again, but at least I get to see Liam._

_I can’t sleep. I can’t get him off my head._

_Caring for someone is something so new for me, and it makes me feel so afraid that I’m gonna screw it up. I don’t know how to love, how to be there for someone else. But I want to. For him._


	19. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam keeps living.

In the end, Liam could barely swallow the fact that he and Theo had so little time. Their story was short, yes, but they experienced so many feelings within that time. So even if during the first weeks after Theo’s sacrifice Liam had lots of regrets, now he was glad that there was any story to begin with.

One day at a time, Liam lived reminding himself that Theo had no regrets, and neither should he. The memory of Theo lingered in the air, he was always there, looking after him, accompanying him through life, through its peaks and lows.

Whenever Liam laughed at a joke someone told him, Theo was there laughing with him.

Whenever Liam broke down into tears because of the overwhelming feeling of a lost love, Theo was there to hold him.

The last thing Theo felt was Liam’s pain, but the last thing Liam would feel was Theo’s love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's it, everyone! clearly not the best story out there, but i had fun writing it, to whoever read it, to whoever left kudos, to whoever bookmarked it; thank you. it really means a lot. i have a few more ideas in mind for more stories, so if you want, stick with me :)


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